Fans of the Harry Potter franchise are surely aware of the magical sport of quidditch, a fictional game in which players ride flying broomsticks, chasers toss Quaffles, beaters hit Bludgers, and seekers catch the coveted Golden Snitch. And though he was a fan, it wasn’t until student Cyrus Sellers came to Baylor University in the fall semester of 2023 that he learned that real-life quidditch — called quadball — was possible.
“I didn’t even realize it was an actual sport,” he said.
As Sellers navigated through student organizations and activities at Late Night, an annual gathering of clubs and activities for new students, he found Baylor’s own quadball team. Though he came to Baylor after a career in the Navy, he, like many other freshmen, was looking to find a community from the moment he arrived on campus. He joined the Baylor Club Quadball team, has been a member since, and currently serves as the club’s president.
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Since its creation in 2005, quadball has become a global phenomenon. Play at the college level is especially popular — the sport started at Middlebury College in Vermont and is played at more than 100 colleges across the country. Real-life quidditch — officially renamed quadball in 2022 — began as an experiment between Middlebury students Xander Manshel and Alex Benepe to bring the sport from the screen to life. The success of the sport quickly outgrew the Middlebury campus, and by 2010 Benepe had incorporated the International Quidditch Association and hosted 46 colleges at the Quidditch World Cup.
The magical game of quidditch’s fictional rules were adapted for real-life limitations (namely, that humans cannot fly on brooms). Otherwise, as Sellers explained, quadball closely resembles the game many are familiar with from reading the books and watching the Harry Potter films by design.
The competition is as intense as any other sport, with the Baylor season’s end culminating in the national US Quadball Cup. Sellers said the Baylor team has traveled to places as far as Boston and Richmond, Virginia, in the past, as well as to towns around Texas, like Round Rock and Garland. The team has also hosted its own annual home tournament called Brooms on the Brazos.
The rules of quadball can be complicated for the unfamiliar:
- The mixed-gender contact sport combines several elements from rugby, dodgeball, and tag.
- A team is made up for at least seven athletes who play with brooms between their legs on the field.
- Six players occupy the field until the seeker, wearing a yellow headband, joins the game.
- Goals are scored when the quaffle — typically a slightly deflated volleyball — is thrown, kicked, or otherwise propelled through the opposing team’s hoops.
- Dodgeballs, called bludgers, wielded by other players can be used to knock out members of the opposing team.
Sellers typically plays the chaser position, a dual offensive and defensive position, and said the play is vigorous. The sport is traditionally played on a soccer field and involves a lot of running, as well as light contact from the thrown bludgers.
“We practice a lot,” Sellers said. “As much as two to three times a week, for two hours.”
Sellers said practices usually take place on the Baylor campus, famously spotted at the Minglewood Bowl near Brooks College.
Whether students are fans of Harry Potter or not, quadball offers a way to connect with a larger community and cultural phenomenon, all while staying active and participating in campus life. Sellers said he’s made close friendships while on the Baylor Club Quadball team, which often socializes beyond practices, games, and travel tournaments. Sellers adds that the size of the team ebbs and flows as seniors graduate but maintains a presence on campus.
“We hold a lot of events,” he noted. “We hang out at Christmas and host a party at someone’s house and enjoy food and share a few presents.”
For Sellers, the appeal of keeping quadball alive on the Baylor campus is to stay connected with teammates and stay active as he navigates college life. Staying in touch with the books he loved growing up is an added bonus.
